Difference between revisions of "Nairatsa"

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Nairatsa

Flag of Nairatsa
Motto: I drank what?''
No Map Available Yet
Region	The East Pacific
Capital	Nominally: Port Verity Truly: The Sea
Official Language(s)	English, Spanish, French, Thieves' Cant, Naval Flag Dialogue, and Grog-induced mumbling. A significant number of natives also know some form of finger-talk.
Leader	That's a state secret, and not for you lads and lasses t'know. It's largely de-centralized, after all.
Population	10 million at page creation.
Currency	The Flare (ʃ)
NS Sunset XML

Any distinction drawn between Nairatsa and it's numerous agents (including, from time to time, it's leader) are probably minimal, so you probably should read the bottom of this page; (Un)Known Nairatsan Agents.

(-------------------------THIS PAGE CURRENTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF A MAJOR RENOVATION-----------------------------------)

The Rogue Nation of Nairatsa, or Freehaven of Nairatsa, is a federalist democratic republic, with strong anarchistic leanings, built around the dualistic concepts of negative liberty and laissez-faire governance. The burgeoning power is comprised of several large island chains, and numerous land-bound assets, but both claims no natural territory, and avoids any subdivision or districting of it's lands into any form of state or district. It is referred to primarily and most commonly as Nairatsa, or 'The Haven', abbreviated as F. (of) N., and in a formal context as variously 'The Freehaven of Nairatsa', 'The Piratical Paradise of Nairatsa', and 'The Rogue Nation of Nairatsa'. The various governmental entities of Nairatsa primarily use one of the latter two forms.

The Rogue Nation of Nairatsa's official founding date is December first, 2005, though it existed in numerous forms prior to that date. The Nairatsan nation is largely indifferent reguarding it's own history, however, so this date is under dispute. The general consensus on it's founding date centers around the establishment of it's first parlimentary council, and subsequent revision of the highly informal Pirates' code into a more uniform, but still informal basis for governance. This revision primarily centered about the establishment and legitimization of government as an extention of the captaincy, and is considered the first real legislation passed. Alternate founding dates include the building of the first docks on Port Verity (January 1, 2005), the first Infamous Captaincy (July 6, 2005), and the first defensive action of Nairatsan militia. (August 23, 2005). No formal founding date is celebrated, though, as the natives say, "It's always a party in port."

Region: The East Pacific

Near December First of 2005 the nation of Nairatsa came into recognition in the East Pacific, seeking to enjoy the fruits of a small and sleepy region, however by the end of the month, dreams of rest and relaxation were cast to the winds, and the Black Flag was a'flyin. Shore leave was never so short.

History of Nairatsa, the Nation

The concept for Nairatsa largely grew from the historical Libertatia and other rumored and extant pirate havens. The rest was conjured from fat air and gun smoke, and is not meant as actual historical fact. It should also be noted that Nairatsans have a notoriously lax attitude concerning record-keeping, so, even what is said below is suspect to the ravages of time.

Early History

A particularly attractive lass of early Nairatsa; notify me if this picture belongs to you and you'd like it removed.

Nairatsan history began in an environment strikingly similar to the Carribean of the 1600's. Minor indegenous peoples were being displaced in favor of large colonies established by distant foreign powers, and enterprising journeymen captains often went rogue, stealing a ship, then preying upon lightly defended shipping. These piratical individuals eventually became a significant threat to the interests of the nations in the region, and were forced to form loose confederacies for mutual defence, as the larger nations exerted military might in the region. These sea coven, along with those of their number lucky enough to retire, either formed or converted the first land-based haven by soaking the region with ready pirate coin. Enterprises sprang up around this source of wealth, designed to cater to the unsavory desires of pirates in port, and an economy was born.

With the economy, and a willing fence for stolen goods, came an operations center for pirates, and a convienent place for captains to meet, air grievances (usually by dueling), and form further sea bands. Naturally, the governemnts of these colonial interests viewed this development with trepidation, and early pirate havens were required to move about often, one step ahead of a far superior military. Eventually, these havens grew too large and well established to uproot, and were forced to levy militia, volunteers from among the larger fleets in port, to serve for defense. The irate colonial powers swept in with the full might of their regional military in response, forcing the two largest havens of the time, Port Verity, and the slightly smaller Nightshame, to band together in an attempt to stave off the invasion force. This was commonly known as the first Infamous Captaincy, as the head of the combined armada was one Roque "Shadow" de Gault, a master of seaborne stealth and fleet tactics, and his reign over the combined colonies was long and prosperous. Subsequently, 'Infamous Captancy' has been used to refer to the reigns of a number of Nairatsan politicals, notable for their stature or particular ability.

These two original mainstays are now referred to as the prime islands. Subsequent additions are not adressed with any formal title, though to some extent the additions are regarded as conquered territory, and held in slightly less esteem. Often, similarly minded territories will informally petition for entrance and protection under the umbrella of the nation, and as such, the territories of Nairatsa are disjoint and scattered across multiple Earths and dimentions. All possess at least some means of contact with the primes, however, as part of their charter. Conspicquously absent from these official governmental documents of the time are any mention of education, social welfare, or public enterprise. This was intentional, and born from the underlying capitalist philosophies of the early privateers.

History After Establishment

After the threat of invasion abated, the freebooters recognized that the union presented unpresidented opportunity, namely to rob everyone blind within sailing distance. The first Infamous Captancy earned it's notoriety for the prolonged period of looting, pillaging, and drunken revel that followed. During this time, the nation became a power to be reckoned with, as fleets swelled, merchant ships being careeened and refitted for war. The first shipyards were built in Port Verity at this time, and it's first tall ship was comissioned for Capt'n Shadow, a one-hundred gun bronze-sided ship of the line. The Black Joker was superior to most nations' largest battleships, and vastly so to any of their local assets.

As time passed, the nations that Nairatsa had begun raiding faded from prominence, torn apart by internecine strife and more local war. With their fall, the young nation turned inward, establishing the more formalized version of the Pirates' Code used today, adopting the Jolly Roger, and co-opting the sea shanty 'What shall we do with the Drunken Sailor' as a (temporary) national anthem, for their recognition and ease of use. It was at this time that the first Ruling Council was formed, as a sort of Captain's Corps. With the estalishment of a Government came the minting of a currency, the Flare (ʃ), though barter prevailed as the most common method of transaction for a significant period of the nation's history.

Alongside currency came diplomacy, and the nation shifted it's focus to include all manner of confidence methods. Diplomatic assignments are simply viewed as a way to rob someone blind without actual threat of force. At roughly the same time, government agencies emerged, from the trade unions that survived conquest. In accordance with their roots, however, the agencies themselves are largely mercenary, in addition to being laissez-faire, they pay and accept bids for nearly every service. Intelligence was handled in a particularly unusual way (see below) where the spies are essentially free agents, paid handsomely for results. This has affected the behavior of society as a whole, and the view of the nation in the world's eyes, as noted later in this document.

A rough sketch of The Salt as a young man. If this image belongs to you and you would like it removed, notify me.

Since the first, there have been three particularly outstanding Infamous Captaincies. The first of the three, Daniel "The Salt" Schempp, rose to prominence as a member of the upper legislative body, earning his post through a particularly impressive series of raids on a now-defunct nation's diamond shipping lines, returning nearly three hundred million flares of hard assets, and several hundred usable ships. His captaincy was earned through his subsequent exploits, though. Once in his new post, the Salt used the military might of the nation to shadow blockade many shipping lines, establishing no fewer than three sea legends of monsters, electromagnetic disturbances, and flickering portals to other realms.

Modern History

The third and fourth Infamous Captaincies were rumored to be one and the same, or a man and and his son, Ferth "Steel Heart" de Rin. He was rumored to have had a portion of his heart shot free at an early age, and there may have been some measure of truth to that, as he is known to have had a piece of cannon shell affixed to his torso. Steel Heart the First's ascention is lost to the mists of time, but it is known that he disappeared shortly after a manipulative trade arrangement that sent thousands of pounds of hard wealth shipping home for no real export. The second recorded "Steel Heart" was appointed to the council after a unanimous vote by the undercouncil, again under unknown circumstances, and reportedly announced that he was the same man as before. The second Heart continued in the footsteps of the first, wringing every drop of profit out of any trade agreement by any means necessary. It was said, of both, that if you escaped the negotiation with your shirt, he'd simply shoot you and then take it.

Nairatsan natives are often found outside the country in all manner of roles, and it is equally likely that you will find a Nairatsan outside as a foreigner inside, save in times of war.

In recent times, the nation of Nairatsa has served as a below-board intelligence agency, available for hire at it's discretion. The military is largely kept as a militia, and given that the nation is currently in a low state of alert, few troops are levied. The nation is currently building several profitable trade alliances, and diplomatic ties, though there is some suspicion that this is simply to further their covert and piratical aims. Nairatsans are currently enjoying minor renown as shrewd agents of every stripe, and are likely to offer, for a price, significant military technology to both sides of any conflict.

Culture of Nairatsa

From the earliest freebooter's coves, culture has been chaotic at best, a hopeless tangle at worst. Due to the numerous, and largely now-defunct nations that provided the initial populace of Nairatsa, a wide variety of races and species now call the nation home. For each that brought their culture intact another fled some cultural stigma, and would as soon develop one ad hoc. If there were any notable indigenous peoples, They have long been lost to the annals of time, or merged with the population at large. Further, the generally apathetic attitude of Nairatsans toward the affairs of others permits a non-homogenized culture to grow and flourish.

In this varied environ, several eclectic and occasionally high-quality artistic movements have arisen, notably the music genres of Chaos Jazz, Shanty, and Bardic Free Verse. A few painting styles have also emerged in Nairatsa, largely the brainchildren of banished political artists. These include a variant of Cubism, Magical Emotion, and Real Sculpture. The causal appreciator beware, though, for Nairatsan works of art often affect the audience. Paintings come to life, Music inspires action, and Sculpture is often mistaken for animate life. Occasionally, it is.

That said, there are some bedrock values of Nairatsan society, and it is by no means a hazy nation of starving artists and peaceniks. Nairatsans are mainly reserved, stalwart people, compassionate to their neighbors and vicious toward their enemies. The average Nairatsan (Nairatsenné (f.)) is tolerant to a point, believes in the value of private enterprise and aims to achieve notoriety in their life time. Society as a whole is meritocratic, with hard work often the only means to advancement, in direct rebellion to the 'Divine Right of Kings' theory predominant in their countries of origin. Art is a secondary, but valued concern, and hints of hedonism run throughout. Nairatsans are seen by their neighboring nations as a mercurial lot; often sober, yet given to wild revel, a motley crew of characters, and always an interesting gang.

Races of Nairatsa

A Dark Elf in Port Verity, notify me if this picture belongs to you and you'd like it removed.

Due to the unusual foundations and continuing immigration policy of Nairatsa, a number of races comprise the core population, with a non-trivial amount of vagrants shifting through by their own whim. As there is no census, the listing below is in roughly accurate order, by the best guess of the Nairatsan Minister of the Interior.

• Human: Humans make up the majority of the Nairatsan population, and possess no outstanding features other than their lack of body hair. Originally, all of Nairatsa was Human, but with the trans-realm trade deals of the third Captaincy, an influx of other rogues, rebels and exiles has forged the modern nation.

• Demi-humans: Human half-breeds. With all sorts of things. Satyrs through tieflings, with brief pauses at half-elf and elementalkin. Not to be confused with modified humans, though there has been some arguement that Nairatsan demi-humans are genetically tweaked Humans and vice versa.

• Darks: Elfin, slender and sneaky as hell. No one knows from whence they came, and no one asks too closely. Considered by many to be direct kin to Drow. Also present are Dark Elves, but the groups maintain that they are distinct.

• Elves: Elves, similar to both their Tolkien-esque and D&D bretheren, are unusually found living at open peace with their dark-skinned cousins. Nairatsa is one of few extant examples of trade between the two groups.

• Nekomimi: Cat Girls from 1 Infinite Loop, they comprise some smaller chunk of the Nairatsan populace at large. They are generally viewed as completely harmless, but distractingly cute.

• Posthuman: Humans or humanoids genetically or mechanically modified to be something else, usually by addition of cybernetic augmentation, or radioactive mutation. Nairatsa has very few native posthumans.

• Syreen: Green-skinned humanoids, predominantly beautiful and female. Thought to be distant relatives of Humans, they have shown a distinct affinity for the Human males of the nation.

• A.I.: Assorted forms of free (or rebellious) machine intelligence. Extant forms include one liquid metal entity (LiME), three self-aware computer viri, and sundry humanoid forms.

• Sapient Animals: Animals made sapient by some biological, mechanical, or magical means. no one significant breeding populace exists, although Timber Wolves are the most commonly seen.

• Assorted Dross: Nobody knows. Nairatsans come and go.

Customs and Fashion

As a reflection of their general culture, Nairatsan customs are as varied as the fish in the sea, and primarily hail from their country of origin. A group of Syreen may decide to take leave for Baccturnalia, while a gang of Darks is shored for K'rist'nas, for example. There are few official holidays, and fewer still native celebrations. That being said, there are a few notable fixtures of civil existance that hark from the earliest days of island life, and some social tendencies persist from times of sail. These customs are not kept by any governmental action, but celebrated by general consensus.

The colors red and black are considered generally dashing, and historically piratical modes of dress are unusually prevalent, including the three-cornered hat, the bandanna, and leather calf boots. The skull and crossbones is ubiquitous, as is the habit of wearing weapons openly in public, and the favored materials are either waterproof or water-repellent, including heavy oiled wool and treated leather. Nairatsenné women tend toward elegant, yet abbreviated fashions, often causing traffic accidents via sheer distraction. As a majority of men hold some post in the militia, male fashion usually consists of military dress, in varying degrees of formality. Hair is often worn long by both sexes, and wigs are considered societally acceptable. There is no rigorous social seperation by economic status, and it is considered unremarkable to see a captain drinking with his men.

Though a sardonic people, Nairatsan hospitality is a throwback from the early days of "Hide in here, quick."; if a Nairatsan takes you into their home and breaks bread, they are as your brother until the next sunset. People of varied races are treated with equanimity, and Nairatsans are a notoriously unflappable people. Holidays, commonly referred to as 'shore leave' or 'liberty', are often centered around a particularly infamous action, or lucrative haul, and rarely, dedicated to a person. Often the celebration is modest, consisting of a simple toast to the honored party, but there are portions of major cities that hold perpetual parties. These blocks of unchained revelry are formalized anarchy, and customary social inhibitions are entirely left at the door.

(For general Nairatsan ethics and philosophies, see Philosophy.)

Religion

Again, as with every other aspect of Nairatsan culture, religion is primarily a product of the individuals' country of origin, or lineage. There is no regcognized 'Church of Nairatsa' nor any state religion. Further, as Nairatsans' are firm believers in leaving well enough alone, evangelism often falls on deaf ears. As a whole, Nairatsans tend to show an unusual reverence for the sea and Lady Luck, paying both at least lip service during day-to-day life; likely a product of their tempest-tossed origins. Some guess of the religions present may be formed by investigation of tax records, as every nonprofit must obtain and renew a government charter. By this metric, most Nairatsans are monotheists, followed by pantheist polytheism, assorted other cult beliefs, and a few atheists to round out the pack. Specifically, Christianity and Floydism have some support, as does Sea-theism; also, Hellenic Pantheism] seems to be gaining a modest belief base. One could note, however, that Hedonism is prevlent enough to eclipse all others, but that perspective is a minority view. As it pertains to law, the principles of morality set forth by Christianity are the default, though the government generally refuses to interfere with the social existance of its citizens, save to protect personal liberty.

Specific monotheistic religions in order of date first chartered:

• Christianity - Any one of a number of religions centered around worship of a monotheistic deity as expressed by the Bible. Core tenets include belief in Christ, from whom the name Christianity is derived.
• Aism - Linguistic superiority monotheism, basing deitic status upon simply having the lexically superior name of 'A'. Now defunct.
• Floydism - Awfully hard to describe; centering on the teachings of Pink Floyd, the now-defunct band. See the linked page.

Specific polytheistic religions in order of date chartered:

• Sea-theism, or sea worship. - A belief system as old as the sea, and very informal. Superstition regarding the nature of chance and any number of powers, monsters, and stewarts of the sea, and, to a lesser extent, nature in general.
• The Right Church of Captaincy - The pseudo-worship of any one, or all of the past noteworthy captains of record, generally frowned upon as an extention of the 'Divine Right of Kings'
• Hellenic Pantheism - The pantheistic worship of multiple deities of a Grecian nature, usually importuned for various causes by specific deity's domain. Often involves sacrifice.
• Dendee Pantheism - Phonetically, 'DnD Pantheism'. The belief in one or multiple patrons alongside a pantheon of related powers. Often the religion of Elves, Darks, Demi-humans and their kin.

Others:

• Chance (Religion of) - The belief in, and worship of, variously, Lady Luck, sheer probability, or some form of risk-driven causation. Importuned through bizzare and ritualistic rites, and often paid service in a pinch, particularly by intelligence agents.
• Atheism - The absence of belief in any form of higher or governing deitic power.

Language(s)

There is no formal language of state; all correspondance is written in the language most likely to be understood by the recipient. Internally, this usually means English, but external missives may be in any of English, Spanish, French, Naval Flag Dialogue, and Grog-induced mumbling (when taking dictation). The average natural-born or natualized Nairatsan is well on their way to fluency in all of these, primarily for trade purposes, and speakers will cycle through them as their purposes desire, often without concious effort. English is used is the primary language of commerce, for it's adaptive structure and cross-national commonality. It surfaces a fair amount of time in prose, as well, for it's readily acerbic wit, and it is often the first taught language. Spanish, too, sees use in trade, but it is mainly found in service as a second to English in governmental communication, for it's gender specificity and simplicity, and also for it's capacity for formal address.

French is primarily used privately, for quiet whisperings between couples or romantic prose, and it is held in wide regard as the most romantic of the lot. The descriptive effervesence of French also makes it a natural choice for verbose arguements, florid praise, obfuscatory proclamations, and outright lies. It's sheer fluidity of speech makes it the second taught to most younglings, who may struggle with mastery of the fricatives of English or the rolled consonant sounds of common Castillan Spanish.

Thieves' Cant, a bastardization of language in the interests of forming a cryptolect, is prevalent in Nairatsan life. So prevalent, in fact, that it has outgrown the purely underworld form where it began. Alternatively, the underworld is a significant enough portion of the state to have it's own sub-language, but that, again, is a minority view. Today,it sees primary use as a covert tongue, spoken in shadow as sign and countersign. No extant schools of cant exist, but somehow it propagates. It has evolved to the point that a perfectly innocent discussion may cloak the most sinister of underpinings, and is one more example of Nairatsans not being what they first seem. The exact lexicon of cant, however, is not a matter of public record, as it would be immediately changed were it known. For a variety of reasons, ranging from stealth to communication in a hostile environment, the vast majority of Nairatsan citizens also understand Naval Flag Dialogue, the communication of ships by the raising and lowering of certain flags, each with encoded phrases. Some learn another tongue alongside NFD, Finger-talk. The second silent linguistic form, finger talk is a specialized variant of sign language, intended to convey involved meaning via a series of barely noticable motions. Either or both of these are visible around the edges of society, appearing as subtly doubly-meaningful public images and gestures, long-distance visual dialogue, and shorthand in a vocally hostile situation.

As for prevalent dialects, Castillan Spanish, Middle-to-modern English with piratical overtones, and Alpine French see the most use, with English serving as the usual basis for the gang of cryptolects known as Thieves' Cant. Modern American English and Southern French also see widespread acceptance, though most any dialect of any nation-wide language will be recognised.

Colloquialisms

• Shore leave and liberty, or simply 'shoring', is used as a catch-all term to describe the break given at these times, in place of 'holiday' or 'break' in other cultures.
• Old sea sayings have replaced their more common land counterparts; i.e "Where the keel hits waves." as opposed to "Men at the coal face.", and "Oar in lock" as opposed to "Hand in glove." There is also a slight linguistic specialization with regard to the sea.
• Cap'n and Captain have largely replaced Sir, and Mister has been similarly swapped for Mate in an informal setting.
• Various traditional chunks of sea jargon see regular use, including 'land-lubber' (derogatory), 'swab', 'me bucko', 'avast' and the like.

Weights and Measures

From

Education

Nairatsans are unusually self-sufficient; at an early age, the average Nairatsan can field strip a rifle, run a farm, and sail a ship by the stars. Built atop this foundation, the educational system is highly irregular. The basic system is similar, with children going through a fairly standard progression of Kindergarden through College, yet the subjects taught cause many a visitor to raise an eyebrow. Maths and Rhetoric are ever present, but alongside them one finds Acrobatics, Wilderness Survival/Orienteering, and Poison Identification (the final is pass/fail). Similarly varied are the degrees offered by these institutions, and it is likely that a Nairatsan has a degree that specifically applies totheir chosen filed, regardless of what it may be.

This unique system stems from a national emphasis on self-reliance and personal responsibility, wherin the average citizen is expected to be a capable generalist, in addition to any specalized skills they may possess. Unsurprising, given that the entire existance of the nation has hinged upon the peripheral abilities of it's citzens in the past. Public education is virtually nonexistant, though Artisan guilds often adopt children and young adults, offering teachings and board in return for the rights of sale of the acolyte's work. Coupled with a ruthless drive to excel, this has brought a significant portion of the populace far beyond what one would expect from a pirate, creating the archtypal intelligent savage.

Philosophy

Economy

Historically

Currency

The 1 Flare coin. If this picture belongs to you and you'd like it removed, do so.

Exchanges

Barter

Technology

Historically,

Availibilty

Proficency

Development

Government

Heraldry and Nobility

Mottos/Symbols of the State

The Agencies

The Ruling Council

The Shadow Council

Official Demographics

Major Cities

alpha city PV major glob cit Nightshame

The Intelligence Agency

Military/Militia

Errata

Anthem

Religion in Nairatsa

Whatever they want. Nairatsans are predominantly monotheistic, but minor cults exist to just about every religion you could think of; as varied as their culture. The culture is such that they do not interfere, so oddly, diametrically opposed theisims cohabitate here.

Government of Nairatsa

The people of Nairatsa regularly elect a group of parlimentary gents who form the ruling council. The council then elects a select few that handle the quick and stealthy needs of the country. Rumor has it that there is one above the rest, but if there is, his existance is shrouded in mystery and myth. Judicial matters are handled by an evolved form of maritime law, with local judges and officers of the law adjudicating as necessary. Juried trial is available, and often prefferred, but most crimes are either those of agression within the country or minor in nature; Nairatsans are too mobile for a static judiciary.

Socioeconomic law is almost unheard of, but what little there is is overseen by the trade associations and community groups.

Economics of Nairatsa

Nairatsan economics are largely driven by corporate-forced, unrestrained capitalism.

To be Continued...

Political Parties and Special Interest Groups

In progress.....

(Un)Known Nairatsan Agents

You may not assume your nation has any information on any of these people, unless you have discovered it through RP (highly doubtful). They are provided as reference for RP purposes. If anything, things and individuals below may be rumored but no more substantially than, say, Keyser Soze.

Agents of Nairatsa